Hue specific monochromatic printing mechanism

Abstract

A method disclosed. The method includes receiving color pixel data for an object to be printed, receiving predefined color values, calculating color space coordinates corresponding to the predefined color values, performing monochromatic hue mapping to map each pixel to the calculated color space coordinate values and color mapping the pixels from a source color space to a destination color space.

1. A method comprising:
 receiving color pixel data for an object to be printed; 
 receiving predefined color values; 
 calculating color space coordinates corresponding to the predefined color values; 
 performing monochromatic hue mapping to map each pixel to the calculated color space coordinate values; and 
 color mapping the pixels from a source color space to a destination color space. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining whether monochromatic hue mapping is enabled prior to retrieving predefined color values. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein color mapping the pixels is performed after receiving color pixel data if monochromatic hue mapping is disabled. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the predefined color values comprises receiving user selected color values via a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the selected color values are directly selected at the GUI. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4  wherein a color tone is selected at the GUI and corresponding color values are generated. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the color space coordinates comprise the a* and b* coordinates in the CIELAB color space. 
     
     
       8. A printer comprising:
 a control unit to receive color pixel data for an object to be printed, the control unit having:
 a monochromatic hue unit to receive predefined color values, calculate color space coordinates corresponding to the predefined color values and perform monochromatic hue mapping to map each pixel to the calculated color space coordinate values; and 
 a color unit to perform color mapping and determine color values for each pixel in an object to be printed. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The printer of  claim 8  further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow an operator to enable and disable the monochromatic hue unit. 
     
     
       10. The printer of  claim 9  wherein the control unit determines whether monochromatic hue mapping is enabled. 
     
     
       11. The printer of  claim 9  wherein the predefined color values are selected via the GUI. 
     
     
       12. The printer of  claim 11  wherein the selected color values are directly selected at the GUI. 
     
     
       13. The printer of  claim 11  wherein a color tone is selected at the GUI and the corresponding color values are generated at the monochromatic hue unit. 
     
     
       14. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 receiving color pixel data for an object to be printed; 
 receiving predefined color values; 
 calculating color space coordinates corresponding to the predefined color values; 
 performing monochromatic hue mapping to map each pixel to the calculated color space coordinate values; and 
 color mapping the pixels from a source color space to a destination color space. 
 
     
     
       15. The article of manufacture of  claim 14  including data that further cause the machine to perform operations comprising determining whether monochromatic hue mapping is enabled prior to retrieving predefined color values. 
     
     
       16. The article of manufacture of  claim 15  wherein color mapping the pixels is performed after receiving color pixel data if monochromatic hue mapping is disabled. 
     
     
       17. The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein receiving the predefined color values comprises receiving user selected color values via a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
       18. The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein the selected color values are directly selected at the GUI. 
     
     
       19. The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a color tone is selected at the GUI and corresponding color values are generated. 
     
     
       20. The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the color space coordinates comprise the a* and b* coordinates in the CIELAB color space.